The bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Türkiye were strengthened this week as Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler concluded a productive visit to Islamabad. During his visit, Minister Guler was received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and held comprehensive discussions with his Pakistani counterpart, Khawaja Asif, and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, to advance cooperation across key sectors.
Minister Guler conveyed warm greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Prime Minister Sharif, reinforcing the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two nations. The discussions focused on enhancing strategic cooperation, with a particular emphasis on bolstering economic and defense ties.
At the 16th Session of the Türkiye-Pakistan Joint Trade Commission (JEC), Minister Guler highlighted the significant progress made in economic collaboration. He announced that Turkish contractors have successfully completed 72 major projects in Pakistan, with a combined value of $3.5 billion, spanning the transportation, housing, and energy sectors. Furthermore, he noted that bilateral trade had surged to $1.4 billion last year, marking a remarkable 35% increase. Both nations have set an ambitious trade target of $5 billion, with Minister Guler stressing the need for collective efforts to achieve this goal in a sustainable and balanced manner. He also expressed Türkiye’s expectation for the recently-enacted Trade in Goods Agreement to be expanded to include services, investments, and e-commerce.
Beyond trade, Minister Guler underscored that the strategic partnership between the two countries extends to a shared stance on global issues and robust defense industry cooperation. He described defense collaboration as one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral relationship. The JEC Protocol, agreed upon during the meeting, will serve as a definitive roadmap to further strengthen cooperation in various areas, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), education, and healthcare.
Minister Guler expressed his satisfaction that the meetings had led to concrete steps toward further enhancing the enduring relationship between Pakistan and Türkiye.
